Nazareth Residents Answer Storm Sewer Questionnaire

June 13, 1985|by KAREN FINNEGAN, The Morning Call

Nazareth Borough Council has learned that a sufficient number of borough residents responded to a questionnaire in order to allow completion of paperwork for a $100,000 grant to install storm sewers in the borough. The borough will know within two weeks if the grant has been approved.

The grant is administered through the state Department of Community Affairs. Tentative approval was received, but the borough had to document that more than 50 percent of the people who would benefit from the storm sewers were in low and middle income brackets. Fifty-one percent of the people who received a questionnaire asking family size and income responded.

Council voted to approve swimming pool family passes for $10 to residents who serve in voluntary capacities for the borough. Included are members of the recreation commission, planning commission, Civil Service commission, zoning hearing board, shade tree commission, library board, ambulance squad and some members of the fire company.

The tennis courts at borough park will be resurfaced this year. And the steps at memorial library will be repaired.

Complaints about the consumption of alcoholic beverages at borough parks was brought to the attention of council. Alcoholic beverages at parks owned and maintained by the borough are not permitted by borough ordinance and arrest and conviction can mean fines and jail sentences if fines are not paid. Beer cans and bottles have been found in the parks.

Council approved the purchase of 41 filter bags at a cost of $40 per bag for a filter on the park pool. The bags are suppose to last two-three years and are now 12 years old.

Council discussed a proposal from Blue Mountain Control Center, regional emergency dispatching service, to weigh voting on the center's board so larger municipalities who pay higher fees will have more voting power. Each municipality has one vote on all decisions. The weighted vote, in which Nazareth would receive three votes, would be for financial matters only. In policy decisions, the one vote per municipality would remain. Council, in discussion, felt all votes should be weighted. That opinion will be relayed to the control center's bylaw committee by Councilman Larry Stoudt, council's representative to the center.

Council got some good news - liability insurance has not been canceled and remains in effect until Oct. 1. But an umbrella policy for all municipal officials and employees was canceled, effective last Monday. The finance committee had been authorized to seek and secure the needed insurance.

The borough has received a letter from the state Department of Transportation concerning the condition of railroad tracks on Route 248 near Coplay Cement. The letter lists Conrail, the borough and Northampton County in its complaint, asking that the track be repaired or removed. Council will respond through its solicitor, Alfred Pierce, that the borough bears noresponsibility for the track or its condition. Mayor Charles Peischl suggested naming PennDOT and Conrail in a complaint to repair tracks and roadway on Broad Street, which also is a state highway and in need of repair. PennDOT has said in the past the Broad Street repair is the responsibility of Conrail.

It was reported that the ambulance made 48 calls in May, with 872 miles traveled and 163 man hours.

The police report for the borough and Lower Nazareth Township for May listed crimes reported and investigated, 32 in the borough, 26 in the township; follow-up investigations, 6 in the borough, 1 in the township; criminal arrests, 14 in the borough, 10 in the township.

There were 37 traffic arrests in the borough, 16 in the township. Nineteen traffic accidents were investigated in the borough, 10 in the township. The police answered 232 non-criminal calls in the borough and 115 in the township.